EGNYC,
Thanks for this post. If I may I'd like to thank you. I was very annoyed at my therapist but not enraged. I never thought I had a life and death condition *at that time*, I came to learn I did. I had to suffer a bit more to fully appreciate I was gonna die if I continued on. I did stop as I said for a few years but that was only to keep from going to AA which, having attended a few meetings I knew wasn't for me. I was sicker and needed much more help.
Of course, in an emergency we must access the problem: the most dire symptom, the most lethal was the alcohol. AOs therapist knew this but seems clumsy in the application of the tourniquet, it seems to me.
I would really hate to rehash my history. It's long, complicated and I am tired of discussing the points most therapists I've seen find the more interesting or maybe the easiest to treat. I don't know the answers here. But I do wish more therapists could recommend rational recovery. It was what made total sense to me. Could be I had to get to the point it made sense....addiction is tricky like that.
While the active addiction behaviors are in abeyance, could the root cause be treated? I don't know, I have no training. I do know now that I drank because I wanted to, I wanted the deep pleasure alcohol very temporarily gives. To feed the Beast. I had to learn about the Addictive Voice and all of its tricks.
But honestly, if AA had been my only choice? I'd be dead now. I hope clinicians will learn more about our disease. At least enough to refer and to where.
Love from Lenina